Disease
by PawPrints
Summary: Kaiba wants nothing more than to save Joey.Joey's wondering why all his friends are suddenly trying to kill him.There's only three days left before the verdict comes: life or death and who is responsible for it:Kaiba, Joey's friends, enemies or disease KJ
1. Truthfully

_I do not own Yugioh or any people, products, ideas or concepts that are designed, created or copyrighted by anyone else._

Joey sat on a post down the alley that was still dripping wet from the rain that had passed an hour before. Mud was smudged across his face, speckles of blood leaking through it, his clothes were torn and soaked, his white sneakers were now brown and grey and his honey brown eyes glinted like the knife in his hand against the street light.

The loud city couldn't hide the silence surrounding him and the ringing in his ears. Each inconsistent breath was amplified as his eyes scanned the dark around him. He could hear, very faintly, careful footsteps in the water behind him. He prepared, gripping the silver handle of his knife tighter.

He knew who was coming, it was Yugi. He inhaled deeply and quietly, moving the weight to his left foot.

At an instant, Yugi was at his throat with a knife. Joey's strong arms flung him off and he rose to his feet immediately with pure grace.

"Joey... I'm just here to help you." Yugi said in a timid voice. Yugi held a knife in his hand, a knife covered in fresh blood. Joey's blood.

"Move back Yug'. Don't mess with me." Joey's voice warned as he sulked back into the shadows.

"I can't let you live like this Joey." Yugi said walking toward the shadow Joey was hiding in. "If you're still Joey at all."

Joey stayed silent, watching Yugi standing in the light growing ever more aware of the lingering presence behind him. The air was completely still, no one present noticed the screech of car tires while a wreck took place right outside the alley. All that Joey could focus on was his position between the two threats.

Joey suddenly ran to the alley exit that was farthest away from him. As they closed in on him, Joey closed his eyes and slung himself in the opposite direction towards Yugi and the other figure that he now recognized as Yami. His body slid with great momentum across the gravel, tearing his skin up, to reach the crowded sidewalk where Yami and Yugi wouldn't dare to attack.

Yugi and Yami just stared helplessly at Joey who was looking back at them from the street corner. Then a suave black limo pulled up and the whole section of the city stopped and stared. Joey turned around to see his reflection slowly roll down to show the extremely famous CEO of Kaiba corp.

"Wheeler." Kaiba said with a smirk. Joey stared with a look on his face like something smelled absolutely foul. Nonetheless, he opened the door and got in the limo.

"How do you do that!" Joey asked with his arms crossed, demanding an answer. "You always know where I am." Joey muttered.

"I told you I'd protect you." Kaiba replied tossing a sandwich to Joey, who caught it flawlessly. Kaiba's brows rose. "Well that's new, your hand-eye coordination is usually atrocious. Pity, and I was almost excited to see you get hit."

"Screw you." Joey frowned opening the plastic and taking a big bite, chewing with his mouth open. "Don't protect me, I don't need you."

Kaiba stared for a minute, motioning his hand, stopping the limo. Joey swallowed and looked at him curiously.

"Get out."

"I aint leaving." Joey said stubbornly. Kaiba smirked and grabbed Joey's shoulder and pulled him in for a kiss, which Joey returned obediently. "You are such a jerk, I thought you was six-feet under and here you are the same as always. Where were you!" Joey complained pushing him off.

"Haven't you watched the news? I've established a worldwide gaming monopoly. I'm considered the most powerful man alive now." Kaiba boasted.

"Yeah? Well I haven't really had the time to sit around and watch the news. I've been out fighting my ass off to breath another second." Joey spat. Kaiba chuckled.

"Who? Some silly street gangs?" Kaiba teased.

"No, my fucking friends. Yugi, Tristan, Tea, Ryou, Yami... they're all trying to kill me. Even those assholes that are enemies, like Otogi, are after me like I'm pure gold. Hey, Question, didn't you notice that I'm covered in mud and bleeding?" Joey snapped.

"Why are they after you?" Kaiba asked, confusion and concern falling across his deep blue eyes.

"Marik bit me." Joey stated and Kaiba paused.

"...vampire." Kaiba said understanding now. "So you are the one who died."

"I'm still breathing." Joey informed. Kaiba looked to him with worried eyes.

"So you were the prey, not the converted." Kaiba replied, now looking ill. His long smooth hands found there way to his forehead to support it. "When are you going to die?"

"...probably in three days." Joey said.

"Where is Marik?" Kaiba questioned with a spark in his eyes.

"I don't know." Joey said scrunching his nose into a disgusted look. "He'd be dead if I caught im'."

Kaiba's eyes flickered back to Joey. His face was serious, completely controlled and unreadable. Joey stared back wiping off some of the mud and blood on his shirt with his shoulder. Kaiba took out his phone and dialed quietly. Bringing the phone to his ear, his eyes never left Joey.

"Marik? This is Kaiba." Kaiba said coldly. Joey's eyes turned aggressive and shocked, with his mouth wide open. "Do you realize what you are responsible for?"

The silence was agonizingly tense. Kaiba looked out the window. Joey was fuming.

Kaiba's eyes flickered back over to Joey as the blonde suddenly lunged at him, snatching the phone from his hand.

"HEY! YOU WANNA DIE YA THICK HEADED FREAK! I'm gonna rip you in half you skinny tan piece of sh- " Joey threatened crazily, failing to finish his sentence before Kaiba snatched the phone back and pushed Joey down to the floor of the limo.

"Don't make me put you to sleep mutt." Kaiba threatened with a sharp tongue. "Marik, I expected you to do your job correctly. Now there is a possibility that I may lose him. I don't appreciate the poor craftsmanship much."

Joey stared at Kaiba with wide eyes. He was obviously too confused for words.

Then it came. Joey's stomach twisted sharply and his lungs forced the air from his torso. He began hacking blood and black rot. He gripped his head as he writhed in pain. Kaiba stared down at him with concern.

"Do you hear that? I thought I gave you such a simple task too. I'll have to fix it myself I suppose." Kaiba said harshly ending the call. He pulled the wriggling Joey into his lap and slit his wrist. Joey's eyes were red, leaking blood and wide. They were fixated on Kaiba's wrist.

"Partial conversion is a bitch isn't it?" Kaiba questioned with a single brow raised. "Drink it." Kaiba said referring to the blood dripping from his wrist. Joey forcibly pulled himself from Kaiba and opened the door to the limo, flinging himself out.

"JOEY!" Kaiba called as he caught sight of the blonde rolling down the street from the momentum of the vehicle. ""Dammit."

* * *

R&R dearies :)


	2. Seriously

"Stop the limo." Kaiba ordered. The limo came to a smooth halt in less than ten seconds. Kaiba put his long elegant legs out of the vehicle and stood. He began to run towards the mess of a blond on the street. A few cars passed and then Kaiba stopped. Joey was gone. He looked around and couldn't see him at all. He wandered for a few moments before giving up.

"Mother F-" Kaiba trailed off running back to the limo. "Driver, Kaiba corp." Kaiba commanded as he put the blue tooth in his ear and connected back to Marik.

"Marik Joey just fled. We need to find him before he dies. Send Malik out too." Kaiba ordered before ending the call. He arrived at his corporation and exited the limo swiftly.

"Seto!" Mokuba called from the doorway.

"Mokuba, Joey escaped can you run a search on his tracker and see if you can locate him that way unless he already ripped it out." Kaiba demanded walking quickly to his office.

"How would he know he was bugged?" Mokuba asked following his brother.

"He wouldn't but he will figure it out."

"How will he know where it is?"

"I tell him almost everything." Kaiba replied simply. Kaiba turned as he entered the elevator to face Mokuba. "Tell me if you find him." Mokuba nodded once and turned just before the elevator closed.

Kaiba now alone paused from the fear he felt filtering through his body. "Joey why are you always impossible?" Kaiba questioned aloud. The elevator doors opened and he made his way to his office to begin scans of the city.

()

Joey bent over to catch his breath. It was raining again. As he looked at the small river forming alongside the sidewalk, thoughts whipped through his mind wildly.

"_How do you do that!" Joey asked with his arms crossed, demanding an answer. "You always know where I am." Joey muttered. _

"_I told you I'd protect you." _

"If that's what you call protecting." Joey spat, digging his knife into his side and pulling out the small metal tracking chip. "I should've known you'd bug me you jerk control freak." Joey seethed tossing the chip into the water and leaving the area quickly.

"Where do I go?" Joey asked himself aloud looking around the bustling streets of Domino. He caught sight of a girl on the phone.

"Hey girl! HEY GIRL! Sorry, I need to use that." Joey said snatching the phone and ending the call and dialing a number he could actually use. He had already threw his phone away a week ago to avoid the tracking.

"Hey!" The girl said clearly annoyed and upset.

"Hey pick me up. I'm next to the salon on upside." Joey said quickly. "Thanks girl." He said tossing the stranger's phone back to her.

Within a few moments a purple Benz pulled up.

"Hey sweety." Mai said as she rolled down the window. "How come you wait until you need me to call?"

Joey got in the car.

"Sorry Mai, I've been busy." Joey replied. Mai looked him over through her Gucci sunglasses.

"I see that." She replied putting her pumps on the accelerator and speeding away. "You're lucky I was in the area, I don't live in Domino anymore but anyway, what's this about?"

"I don't really know. First Marik bit me, then I almost died, I woke up in his room, escaped from his room and then the next thing I know Yug' is coming after me with a knife and so are the rest of the gang too!" Joey explained without making much sense of it himself.

"It sounds like a real mess huh? Looks like you really needed mama Mai." Mai smirked for a moment, "You do know you got a vampire bite don't you?"

"I know. I was avoiding him because I knew he was one of those things." Joey said scrunching his nose.

"I heard you're in real close with that Kaiba fellow aren't you?" Mai asked, smacking her gum.

"Yeah... how'd you know about that?" Joey asked surprised.

"You told me last time you were drunk with me. You do know Kaiba's a vampire too." Mai asked raising her finely manicured brow.

"What?" Joey asked in a stupidly ignorant confusion.

"Honey, you are so clueless." Mai sighed as she got on the high way. "Kaiba was caught on New years by all of us with his fangs out. How did you now know?"

"Why'd he send Marik after me?" Joey frowned.

"Maybe to turn you? How should I know how he thinks? He's a genius, I'm just an ordinary girl." Mai replied. Joey eyed her/

"Mai you are far from ordinary... He aint gonna see me anymore." Joey decided.

"Don't do that sweetheart, I don't think I can clean you up from that. Last time you almost got alcohol poisoning." Mai complained.

"It wont be too long anyway, I should be dead soon." Joey articulated.

"What?" Mai asked with knit brows as she switched lanes.

"Like Kaiba said, I was the prey, not the converted." Joey shrugged.

"You need to go back to him." Mai advised.

"No way. He sent Marik in the first place to turn me into prey." Joey said, not quite understanding the bloody wrist thing with Kaiba earlier. "I can't go back to him. I don't have anything left anyway. Serenity is gone, my friends are trying to kill me, my enemies are trying to kill me..."

"I'm still here." Mai reminded. "I wont make you go back, it is your life after but I wont let you go out without a bang."


	3. Extremely

_I do not own Yugioh or any copyrighted lines/product/merchandise/people or ideas involoved in this FANMADE story. Sankyuu._

* * *

"Seto I found his tracking device outside the train station but by the time the search crew got there he wasn't there." Mokuba informed.

"We haven't found him." Marik replied flatly, laying on Kaiba's office couch, Malik was sitting on the arm of the same couch.

"I haven't found him either. He's not in this city anymore." Kaiba responded, almost one hundred percent sure.

"What are we going to do?" Mokuba questioned, worried about Joey. Not only was Joey his friend, but he was the love of Seto's life.

"Find him." Kaiba replied. "I'll begin looking through all of the outside cities with my scanner."

"How do you know he hadn't already left the country?" Malik asked. Mokuba shook his head.

"We already checked the trains, buses and planes for tickets under his names or any of his aliases. There hadn't been any recent records." Mokuba informed.

"He's been tracked many times before; he knows how to escape it." Marik said dully. Everyone looked at him.

()

It was morning again. The birds chirped, sunlight shined through the window and a light breeze gently flowed through the air. Joey groaned from underneath his pile of pink and purple blankets. Mai was standing in the doorway of the living room, where Joey was sleeping, with her arms crossed.

"Hey Hun, are you just going to sleep the rest of your life away?" Mai chuckled.

"Yes." Joey murmured flipping over.

"Oh? And what do you want me to say at your funeral?" Mai questioned raising her brow.

"Say that...Joey was tired..." Joey murmured again, almost completely muffled out by the pillow he had his face shoved into.

"Joey...don't make me wake you up..." Mai said deviously with a hint of happy twisted malice that made Joey finally start to sit up.

"Hey, if you had to fight for three days straight in a life or death situation, you'd be tired too." Joey complained throwing one of the pillows at Mai, which missed terribly, hitting instead a table with a glass vase on it.

"I would'nt if I had Kaiba as a boyfriend. Sugar, you need to learn to use your assets." Mai sighed rolling her eyes as she placed the vase upright. "Oh yeah, you said he was trying to kill you too didn't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah I did." Joey said standing up. "That bastard. Talking about loving me and all that when he trying to kill me? What did I do?" Joey fumed.

"You gotta think about it though sweetie, if he wanted you dead, Kaiba is surely a man who can have you dead before you even know what hit you." Mai mentioned tilting her head slightly in thought. "I don't know why'd he send someone incompetent to kill you."

"Where are we going today?" Joey asked noticing Mai's outfit.

"Oh! We're going to a club sweetie pie! At the exclusive starlight tower!" Mai said posing like a model and fanning herself. "Lets celebrate Joey's amazing life~"

Joey laughed.

"What should I wear? I can't go out in your pink sleep pants." Joey said pointing at them.

"Aw, but they look so fashionable on you." Mai said smirking before catching Joey's flat look. "We're going shopping. You'll have to put up with it and this white shirt until we get your outfit picked out." Mai said tossing the shirt at his face. "Come on, let's go, I'm starved."

()

"SETO! I located him! He's in district D with Mai Valentine!" Mokuba yelled running in the room.

"Good. Pull up a visual." Kaiba said and Mokuba nodded letting his Kaiba trained fingers to fly over the keyboard to pull up a very confusing image for the two Kaibas.

Joey and Mai were in a very expensive clothing store, Joey was posing with purses and a sunhat in pink pajamas while Mai laughed .

"What is he doing?" Kaiba blurted out vaguely appalled.

"Looks like he shopping." Mokuba shrugged. "Oh look, they are walking again."

The two Kaibas watched for a few moments.

"What the hell is wrong with him! He's on his way to death and he's out shopping with Mai Valentine!" Kaiba roared throwing his keyboard and kicking over his desk garbage can. He stood there for a moment and then sat down bring his hand to his forehead in frustration.

"Should we send someone to go get him?" Mokuba questioned patting his older brother's head.

"Yes." Kaiba replied briskly. Mokuba nodded to the servant at the door who jumped up and scurried away with a new sense of purpose.

"Don't you think its a little too easy? Joey never went down this easy before." Marik questioned lazily picking his belly button.

"What do you mean?" Kaiba questioned in a demanding tone.

"Well, the whole reason we're in this mess is because Joey fought back even though he was at 30% blood level capacity AND THEN he also ran for days on end on no food, and no sleep. He's like a super human." Marik inferred letting his purple eyes lazily glance over at Kaiba.

"No the whole reason we're in this mess is because you're an incompetent fool. I paid you to do a job and you didn't do it. I should kill you but I wouldn't know what to do with Malik." Kaiba said turning away from them.

"Eh?" Malik said shocked.

"Joey is just a street rat who is more than used to getting his ass kicked of course it can be expected he can go on less than normal capacity. Nonetheless he's my rat and I know him better than anyone. He isn't even thinking of an escape route I assure you and not only that but he feels no sense of danger." Kaiba said completely losing it for a minute.

"I don't think so, Joey is always thinking of what is next." Mokuba argued and Kaiba shot his a cold stare that stopped the boy from speaking any further, or moving for that matter.

"Joey will be back here soon and everything will be set back into its place. Then I will decide what to do with you Marik." Kaiba said confidently. Marik just 'tsked' and played with Malik's hand out of boredom.


	4. Consolingly

_Before I begin, I would like to thank everyone for their reviews, I definately wasn't expecting that many and it definately inspired me to get to work ;) You guys are awesome._

_Also, I want to reannounce I do not own Yugioh or any names, products, ideas or concepts copyrighted or created by any other person (s). This is strictly a fanbased writing. Thank you!_

* * *

"What's wrong sugar?" Mai questioned noticing Joey behaving strangely and peering around the store like a maniac.

"Knowing Kaiba he's sending his men to pick me up by now." Joey replied eyeing the other shoppers suspiciously. "I wont be having any of that today."

"Really, you should go back to Kaiba and let him explain." Mai replied shrugging.

"Are you kidding! This is a life and death matter! I wont lose so easily and I sure as hell wont be dying by getting my blood drained out of me. That's. just. stupid." Joey fumed.

"Sugar, you're going to die anyway, you may as well hear him out. You don't want to live your final days with regrets." Mai said leaning against the dressing room door. "Are you really going to wear that?"

"What?" Joey questioned, clad in a very basic T-shirt and jeans with the tags poking out at the neck and waist.

"Where did you even find that at anyway? We're in a high class store here and you still managed to find the most boring stuff!" Mai complained.

"It's not boring! It's practical." Joey argued.

"Honey, boring and practical might as well mean the same thing because I'm getting ready to yawn just looking at you." Mai sassed, shaking her head and letting her long blonde hair go with it. "You know what? I'm paying for it so I'm going to pick it out!" Mai decided walking away. Joey went pale.

Joey gave up and sat down on a bench to wait. His brown eyes scanned the store, the shelves, the people and the clothing racks. He felt uneasy, as though he were the prey to the waiting tiger.

Suddenly it came again, his chest tightened greatly and heavy coughs bellowed from the pit of his stomach. More rot then blood escaped him this time. Sweat began to roll down his face and his body felt cold. The pain in his chest caused him to fall from the bench and hit the floor in a tasteless mess, writhing and suffering. He tried to choke out a cry for help but the coughing fit worsened at this notion and he was absolutely helpless.

"JOEY!" Mai yelled, dropping the clothes upon seeing him and running to him. As she reached the blond, she noticed people looking in a very particular way. Without thinking she grabbed him up and supported him with her shoulder and pushed herself, and Joey, into the dressing room and locked the door.

Both blonds were breathing heavily, waiting. Small coughs came out bringing relief to Joey that the coughing fit was almost over. Mai could see Shadows walking by from under the door. She moved both of them as far back as they could go in the dressing room even though it wouldn't do much good considering those men already saw them enter.

"Joey..." Mai whispered, her purple eyes meeting with his hazy brown ones, "What should we do?" She questioned. His exhausted eyes fell to the now solid shadow indicating that whoever it was, was standing right in front of the door. He put his finger up to get a moment to collect himself. Swallowing, he quietly unlocked the door and looked at Mai.

She slipped her high heels off and nodded.

Joey then rammed the door knocking the guy standing in front of it back and the two of them bolted from the dressing room and out of the store. Mai stopped momentarily to catch her breath but Joey grabbed her arm and didn't let her. He pushed her to keep running despite her feet's complaints of all the little bumps on the sidewalk and road that hurt to step on and that continued to rip her pantyhose. The men were still heavy on their tail.

Joey suddenly took a turn for a small crevice between the buildings. He pushed Mai in first.

"Hurry and get to the back, I'll meet you on the other side." Joey said and she just nodded stunned. This was the most action-packed day she ever had. Joey loosened a copper plumbing pipe from the side of the building, water gushed out rapidly. He stood, also bare foot, in wait with the pipe in his hand.

The men came up, catching sight of Joey and froze. Joey knew these guys well, they were Kaiba's elite body guards. Lucky for them, they all knew Joey too, and they knew the danger that awaited them should they set him off. Joey stood there with a smirk on his face. They stood there puzzled on what to do.

"Kaiba sir? Permission to abort." One of the bodyguards asked into his ear piece without moving. "Negative, Men! Move in on him!" The body guard cried like a solider thrusting his finger forward. Joey took one step back and snatched up broken black lid to the large garbage can behind him, holding it like a shield.

As they came, Joey thrust them back with the heavy lid and then stabbed them with the copper pipe, careful not to kill them but to hurt them severely so they wouldn't be apt to follow again. When it seemed as though Joey could never escape them, the tools of defense were deemed as not enough. He dropped the lid and pipe and dashed down the alley with amazing speed.

The body guards took after him, even some of the wounded ones, and they were heavy on his heels. Joey having always been very agile and nimble, snatched a fire escape ladder and climbed up it quickly. The ladder began to move, extending to its full length, as the bodyguards pulled it to them. Joey climbed the stairs to the third floor and looked at them gaining ground on him.

He looked around the corner of the building and saw Mai standing alone, wearing sneakers that she probably mugged off of some poor pedestrian. Joey looked back and then climbed onto the banister. The guards halted in fear that he'd jump. Then he did.

Mai stood waiting looking around when she heard a strange rummaging in the pile of junk behind her. As Joey came out she decked him with her heavy purse without even realizing who he was.

"Mai what the hell!" Joey yelled holding his face in pain.

"Joey! What took you so long? I waited here for a long time. I thought you died." Mai complained placing her fingers on his forehead and pushing him back.

"I happened to be fighting the bad guys you know!" Joey yelled crawling out of the rubbish.

"Next time do it quicker." Mai ordered helping him out. "Lets go in here, I used to date the owner, so I still have a key. I need a drink anyway." Mai said opening the back door to a classy bar they ended up behind.

"Mai, I love you right now." Joey sighed, relieved that he didn't have to run again already.

"I love you too." Mai said jokingly as they both entered the building and shut the door. Almost immediately after, men came from every side of the alley and they were puzzled to find them already gone, even after searching through all the rubbish and garbage present.

"Kaiba, they got away." One of the men informed, unlucky enough to hear Kaiba curse obscenely.

()

"Mai, babe, I never thought you'd come again!" Bandit Keith called out lovingly.

"Don't get your hopes up, we're running from a bunch of guys." Mai advised motioning for Joey to come over. "He needs some clothes and shoes. Also we're both hungry and tired." Mai said bossily and Bandit Keith just eyed Joey jealously. Joey stared back blankly completely unaware he was a threat.

"Keith, he's gay. Calm down." Mai said rolling her eyes and sitting down on a bar stool. Bandit Keith looked back at Mai looking much happier.

"Yeah I can do that." Bandit Keith agreed pouring them both drinks. "I'll go get some clothes and stuff, I'll be right back." He said, still completely whipped by Mai's charm.

As soon as they were alone Mai's confidence faded into sorrow.

"You really are dying aren't you?" Mai asked quietly, realization hitting her like a slap to the face.

"Yeah." Joey replied softly.

Mai teared up and pulled Joey into a brief hug. "I wont let you go out without a bang." She promised.


	5. Annoyingly

_Sorry for my long delay, I happened to be relatively busy slacking off. Thank you for your patience!_

_I do not own Yugioh and this is written solely for fan based purposes. _

* * *

Joey stared at the lights reflected in the glass ceiling of the bar from his cot between the pool tables. He was now clad in leather pants and a red shirt that read 'wild and free' in black letters courtesy of Bandit Keith. He felt pretty awkward wearing leather and was much relieved he didn't have to wear the ridiculous leather boots until tomorrow morning. He also felt pretty awkward due to the noises coming from Mai and Bandit Keith upstairs and was trying desperately to ignore him.

The blanket Keith had given him was scratchy and the cot felt like a wooden board beneath him. The pillow was so soft and fluffy Joey's head sunk into it, almost suffocating him at times. Joey's chest never stopped burning since his last outbreak. His breaths came much less often and even after he ran, his heart was becoming increasingly slower. He put his slender hand to his neck and was not all that shocked to find it colder than ice. He sensed someone in the room. He remained still.

The shadow wavered from pool table to pool table, allowing their hand to run across the surface of each. Whoever it was had no interest in keeping their presence a secret. Whoever it was was obviously interested in Joey.

"What do you want?" Joey asked fearlessly to the shadow once it came close enough for Joey to smell. Which believe it or not was an odd sensation considering his nose only before cared to smell food or strong scents, not subtle ones, like men's cologne. Much like this stranger in the darkness was wearing.

The figure didn't respond, but instead appeared to just be staring at Joey. Joey attempted to adjust his eyes so that he could see who it was but it was to no avail. Then the figure decided to speak.

"Ryou asked me to locate you in order to put you to an end, but seeing you now I find you will die shortly on your own anyway." Said a raspy voice doused in a British accent. Joey recognized the figure to be Bakura. "Perhaps I will just let you be."

"Bakura." Joey said, sitting up. "You can tell when I'll die?"

"Of course I can tell you fool, I am what you've become prey to." Bakura spat venomously.

"Then why aren't they killing you?" Joey questioned curiously.

"Because they do not know what I am, it is a trait of this existence, secrecy." Bakura replied. "Your existence, however, should have ceased once they drained you but it seems that it wasn't their intention to just feed on you. Interesting." Bakura said, leaning in closer, the scent of his cologne filling Joey's nostrils.

"What do you mean?" Joey questioned both curious and concerned.

"Why would I give you knowledge of anything useful? I hate you. You and all your ridiculous friends, excluding Ryou of course, are the most annoying creatures to roam the Earth." Bakura sneered. "But what is it like to linger in between? You aren't human nor are you vampire, you aren't alive nor are you dead. It's a fascinating source of torture; I would test it out if it weren't for my class." Bakura pondered aloud, Joey glared.

"I can tell Ryou what you are." Joey threatened. Bakura laughed.

"Oh? And what makes you think he won't drive a stake through your heart before listening to that story?" Bakura said deviously. "If anything, I would be begging me to help you, if I was in your situation that is. Actually- more rather, I would be asking about Kaiba's intentions, that is your... 'Lover' right?"

"What intentions!" Joey asked grabbing Bakura's shirt.

Bakura smirked.

"I have no incentive to help you." Bakura said pushing Joey's hands away. "Ryou's calling me, I can stay if you like, but the mind link only stays closed for a certain period of time before it opens again revealing everything I'm doing and where I'm doing it at." Bakura said with an evil smirk developing on his face. Joey had no choice but to just let Bakura leave because he sure as hell did not want to start another long fighting session with his friends.

"It's interesting that the main source of your death has nothing to do with vampires at all." Bakura spoke like a trickster as he disappeared into the shadows completely. Joey's eyes widened.

"But I didn't die yet!"

* * *

_Ooooh mysterious mysteries~~_


	6. Finally

Hello Everyone! This is Pawprints, I apologize for not getting around to these fics in a while but I've been quite busy with school and what not. I still don't own Yugioh~

* * *

The morning had come and gone without any notice and now it was already noon. The bar still looked just as dark as it did the night before and Joey felt just as confused and tired. He stared at the glass ceiling trying to make sense of Bakura's riddles but no useful explanation could be found.

"I'm not dead yet..." Joey mumbled to himself out loud, heavy in thought.

"Well that's a good thing sugar." Mai said smiling, buttoning her shirt as she came down the stairs, Bandit Keith shortly after her.

"Oh Mai, you're up." Joey said sitting up on the cot.

"Yeah, sorry we missed club starlight last night..." Mai said looking extremely apologetic.

"It's alright, the club thing isn't really my scene anyway. I should probably get moving, it'll only be a matter of time before someone finds me again." Joey responded, shoving his feet into the old awful leather boots Keith gave to him to use.

"Again? Was someone here last night?" Mai said shocked, running over to Joey's side.

"Yeah Bakura was..." Joey answered, starting to fall back into thought.

"And he didn't do anything?" Mai asked worriedly. Bandit Keith walked over to the bar to get it ready for the night listening in to their conversation.

"No...He said he was sent to kill me but that I was already well on my way to death already and it wouldn't be necessary..."Joey said, his brows furrowing.

"...did he say anything else? You look confused." Mai stated as Joey got up from the cot.

"I'm not dying from being bitten but something else...I don't understand." Joey pondered. "Well I should get going, I don't want to put you in danger again." Joey said smiling.

"I'm coming with you sweetheart, and you can't change that. There's no way I'm letting you die alone." Mai said sternly grabbing her purse and keys. "Keith thank you, I'll repay you sometime ok?"

"Don't sweat it babe." Keith said in a relaxed tone as Joey and Mai left out side door.

"So where do we go from here?" Mai questioned looking around the very average city street with a very average crowd.

"I don't even know. Kaiba is everywhere I could want to go. I don't know what's safe now." Joey replied. Mai put a cap on Joey's head.

"Hey Lets get a train ticket to the ocean." Mai suggested.

"That's not a bad idea. Yeah ok, lets do that." Joey agreed with no better ideas on hand.

()

Bakura, Yugi, Ryou, Yami, Honda and Otogi all walked into Kaiba's office. Kaiba was tense, well aware of why they were here but didn't have the patience or the time to deal with it.

"Kaiba where is Joey? Did you know he got turned into a vampire?" Yami asked sternly. "We have to find him and end him before he becomes a monster like that all the way." Yami commanded.

"I have no intention of telling you where he is and I also have no intention to allow you to do anything to him. He is my responsibility and all of you should remove yourselves from this situation that has nothing to do with you." Kaiba said aggressively and protectively as his eyes flickered to Bakura. Bakura smirked a little.

"It is too our business Kaiba! Joey is in trouble! He can't become a monster like that!" Yugi yelled, losing hold of his emotions, tears building up in his oddly large eyes.

"Get out of my office. I don't have time to deal with idiots." Kaiba snarled as he felt his phone buzz in his pocket. "Kaiba." He answered to the phone.

"Sir! Permission to use funds in order to obtain information regarding Joey." The guard replied.

"Are you in front of the said informer?" Kaiba said eyeing everyone in front of him again, eyes falling on Bakura again.

"Yes sir." The guard replied. Bakura motioned to Kaiba.

"The request is denied. Just leave the informer there, if we need him we will return at a later date." Kaiba responded hanging up the phone.

"Well?" Yami questioned, speaking for the whole group.

"I said get out." Kaiba seethed and then after a few moments of hard staring, Yami nodded and everyone left. Kaiba waited a few moments before following them out into the hall and caught Bakura stepping down a separate hallway from the rest of the group.

Kaiba waited a few moments and then followed after Bakura.

"What do you know?" Kaiba questioned immediately.

"My, my, isn't the great Seto Kaiba impatient today?" Bakura asked mischievously.

"You know damn well Joey is dying." Kaiba spat out impatiently.

"Do I know it well?" Bakura replied amused.

"Bakura." Kaiba said in a warning tone.

"I will get to the point, I can tell you all I know but what's in it for me?" Bakura said with a spark in his eye.

"What do you want?" Kaiba questioned, not in the mood to play around.

"I want permission from the king to make Ryou one of us." Bakura responded. "He seems to like you better than me."

"If you help me turn Joey, I will give you that." Kaiba responded confidently.

"Turn Joey? Me? Are you sure you want him to have that kind of connection with me?" Bakura questioned raising his brow. "Why can't you do that?"

"You can bring him to me or turn him when you find him. Just make sure he does not die. If he does I will kill Ryou off myself." Kaiba snarled.

"Very well." Bakura smirked and just as he did Ryou came around the corner.

"Bakura? What are you doing?" Ryou questioned looking at him and Kaiba.

"Discussing the well being of your good friend Joey." Bakura said in a very dark tone. Ryou looked at him and then Kaiba again.

()

Joey and Mai sat on the beach at sunset. It had taken six hours but they had finally arrived. With their feet in the sand and the soft breeze blowing by Joey felt at ease for the first time in months.

"It feels nice doesn't it?" Mai questioned, smiling lightly, leaning back on her palms.

"Sure is." Joey sighed leaning back in the same fashion as Mai. "Mai...do you think Kaiba hates me?"

"Sugar, you know the answer to that question better than anyone. You are closer to him than anyone after all." Mai responded. "...but I've seen how he is around you and I could almost say for sure that you mean the world to him."

"I just don't get what's going on...I mean, I'm alive but I've been told I'm already dead. Kaiba's suddenly a vampire. Marik came out of no where to attack me when I hadn't seen him in years. Bakura came and talked to me in all sorts of crazy riddles. Yugi is trying to kill me and I'm fine right now but sometimes..." Joey thought out loud.

"I don't think these answers will come easily on your own...and you don't have much time to worry about understanding them. You have less than a day left...you should enjoy yourself kiddo." Mai said sadly, reaching over to ruffle his hair.

"Yeah I guess so.." Joey said. His heart wrenched. He knew the feeling was coming across him again and he fought it. The coughs started to erupt again. He held his mouth shut, coughing through his nose until the feeling became so powerful he started to hack and wheeze. He curled toward the sand and felt tears fall from his eyes. He looked at them as they hit the sand through blurry vision and saw they were blood. Globs of black rot began hurling from his mouth with each hard cough and hack.

"Joey!" Mai called putting her arms around him, trying to ease the pain, while trying not to look at his pained face because it was too much to handle. Bakura watched from the shadows of the dock that he had entered through. He dialed Kaiba's number on his cell phone.

"If you're interested in saving him, this is his final hour. He is on Shell Beach by the shipping docks." Bakura informed Kaiba and hung up his phone, entered back into the shadow realm and exited back into his and Ryou's apartment in Domino.

()

"Mokuba call the helicopter! I need to go to Shell Beach immediately!" Kaiba ordered snatching up his coat and briefcase.

"Right away!" Mokuba replied. "Get to the roof ok?" Kaiba nodded and made his way into the elevator. When he got to the roof the helicopter was hovering and let down a latter. Kaiba grabbed it and climbed up it. When he was halfway up, it began to fly.

()

Joey stared at the darkening sky with blood red eyes as black and red rot and blood leaked from all openings of his face. Mai was crying profusely over Joey's face. He couldn't do anything but close his eyes and feel his heart pump slower and slower like a merry-go-round coming to a halt. He felt a sudden strong wave of sand rip across him and Mai but he had no strength to open his eyes again. Then strong arms jerked him from Mai and just by their feeling he knew exactly who it was.

"Joey. Do not fight with me. If you do not drink from me you will die." Kaiba said sternly as he bit his own flesh open on his wrist and held it above Joey's mouth.

"Joey do it!" Mai yelled desperately not being able to bear to see her friend die.

Joey opened his mouth and allowed the fluid to drip into him. In a few moments Joey felt absolutely possessed, sitting up and grabbing hold of Kaiba's wrist desperately and sucking it hard with unending greed. Kaiba's face didn't falter as he watched. Mai on the other hand, was watching in absolute horror. She then met eyes with the cold hard gaze of Seto Kaiba.

"It's time to stop." Kaiba said to the uncontrolled Joey who hardly heard him. Kaiba pulled his wrist away and wrapped his arms around the blond who was now beginning to shake. Kaiba hadn't once removed his eyes away from Mai. "Thank you for taking care of Joey. However, if you share any of your knowledge of him and I being what we are, you will regret it." Kaiba said coldly.

* * *

R&R


	7. Happily

Pawprints: Hello! Thanks for everybody who reviewed, added me to their story alert/ favorite author alert~~ love you guys :)

* * *

Joey awoke in the all too familiar room belonging to Seto Kaiba. He felt cold and worm out. He looked up at the maid who was sponging him gently.

"Good evening master Wheeler, I hope I did not disturb your sleep." She said in a soothingly calm voice.

"Are you a vampire too?" Joey questioned looking at her.

"I am." She responded, squeezing the sponge out in the warm water. "Many of the Kaibacorp staff are. I am just surprised you didn't realize it sooner."

"Oh...Where's Kaiba?" Joey asked looking around.

"Master Kaiba has gone out on business, he should return later on this evening." She responded continuing to wipe Joey's face. "If you would like, I can prepare a bath for you so that you may clean the rest of your body. I can say I'm shocked Kaiba didn't clean you up himself. He generally does so."

Joey thought for a moment remembering all of the times Kaiba had cleaned him up after he made a mess of himself. He found himself surprised about how many times there actually were where Kaiba was fixing him up, cleaning him up and helping him get through things.

"Yeah...Kaiba is a great guy..." Joey trailed off.

"He is quite kind to you, I cannot say the same for the rest of us." The maid laughed. "Did you want the bath?" She asked again.

"Yeah that sounds good...Hey can you clean my clothes?" Joey asked realizing he was still wearing the stolen merchandise from the store.

"Kaiba has had me prepare fresh clothes for you already." She answered as she got up to draw the bath, motioning toward the outfit hanging on a hook across the room. "Ah...master Wheeler, I hope I am not out of place, but...you do realize you are a vampire as well now?"

Joey's eyes widened. He immediately got out of the bed expecting to be able to run to the bathroom and look in the mirror but he wasn't quite so lucky. Instead his legs, like jello, caused him to collapse onto the floor.

"Master Wheeler!" The maid called shocked, running over immediately to help Joey up. "You are still weak! Are you absolutely mad? What were you thinking?" She called worried.

"And you think you have the right to scold him?" Came the cold icy voice of Seto Kaiba from the doorway. "Leave." He ordered. She bowed and left promptly without saying a word. Kaiba went over to Joey and helped him up.

"You still haven't taken a bath?" Kaiba questioned. Joey shook his head. Kaiba looked into the bathroom and saw an empty tub. "Good for nothing maid, she wasn't even capable of drawing a bath for you." Kaiba complained as he helped Joey sit on the bed. "Stay there. I will prepare it for you."

"Kaiba you don't have to..." Joey said suddenly, feeling guilty that Kaiba has always done so much for him.

"I know." Kaiba replied simply and not even a moment later Joey could hear the water running to fill the bathtub.

"I'm sure the maid has told you you're a vampire now." Kaiba said calmly from the bathroom. Joey sat on the bed feeling really off.

"Yeah she told me...I didn't even know you were one..." Joey replied.

"Why did you run from me?" Kaiba questioned in a scolding tone.

"Because I didn't know what was going on. All of a sudden Marik attacks me...then my friends attacked me and I'm being chased by your bodyguards and security guards...I was kinda freaked out." Joey said sheepishly. "...I still am..."

"Didn't it ever cross your mind that maybe I was trying to help you?" Kaiba asked sternly.

"You had a bunch of guards chasing me! "Joey replied annoyed.

"Are you that much of an idiot!" Kaiba yelled coming out of the bathroom seething.

"Are you mad at me?" Joey asked.

"I am more than mad right now Wheeler." Kaiba growled, standing just outside the bathroom facing Joey.

"Why?" Joey questioned confused, but now also getting upset.

"Why? Because you almost died. That's why. And instead of letting me make it all better you ran away from my guards, injuring a good amount of them and more importantly you ran away from me, destroyed your tracking device making it almost impossible for me to come and save you and you're asking me why I'm angry." Kaiba shouted.

"Yeah I was dying because you sent that psycho Marik after me and then all the other people! I'm surprised I made it this far! I would've been fine if you hadn't tried to kill me in the first place!" Joey yelled standing up, barely able to keep his balance.

"Sit down Wheeler." Kaiba ordered and Joey continued to stand and glared. "Stop being stubborn and sit down." Kaiba ordered again raising his voice this time. Joey didn't budge. Kaiba walked over and pinned Joey down on the bed. "Fine, we'll just have to talk this way then."

"Are you going to talk or yell?" Joey sneered, too weak to fight Kaiba's strength so he just layed there.

"Joey, you were dying before I sent Marik after you. Remember all those doctor visits I made you go to? Well, I made you go to those because I could hear your heart faltering every so often. I got the results faxed to me while I was over seas and discovered you had an issue with your heart to where you could die randomly any second. I called the king and got permission to make you into a vampire, and since I still had business to attend to overseas, I sent Marik to do it." Kaiba looked hard and Joey and sighed, getting up off of him because he now had Joey's full attention.

"I couldn't let you die, I didn't want to be alone again. Unfortanetly, you're a complete nut and you attacked Marik and went on your little action-packed fighting spree with Mai for several days on the edge of death, caused me all sorts of trouble catching you and almost killed yourself." Kaiba said bluntly looking at a now embarrassed Joey Wheeler.

"Why didn't you tell me that then?" Joey asked sheepishly. Kaiba scoffed.

"Come on, you need a bath, you look like death." Kaiba said playfully, picking Joey up and bringing him into the bathroom.

* * *

R&R おねがいしまつ！


	8. Dark

The sun set in deep red. Joey watched with excitement through the dark windows of the Kaiba corp. office windows. It had been six months since Joey had been turned and he still couldn't get over the night life of a vampire...which he spent mostly wandering the elegant masses of the immortal and the undead, completely left alone because of his status brought on by Kaiba.

He never spoke to any of them, because even though he knew who they were and even was one of them now, the other vampires terrified him in ways he couldn't begin to describe. You see, Joey had always been afraid of vampires. His own reflection occasionally left his hair standing up on the back of his neck.

Kaiba would have to have his servants collect blood specifically for Joey because otherwise he would not drink it and would also become very ill from that. Though he would never die, he would suffer. Kaiba could never see him to suffer that way and allowed him every luxury in the world. Joey would only accept the necessary.

"Aren't you tired of gaping at people?" Kaiba, after noticing Joey's quiet excitement, questioned without looking up from the document he was reading.

"I'm not gaping at them!" Joey said defensively. Kaiba looked up at him with his usual cold, stern eyes.

"Do not wait until sunrise to return again. You may be able to handle it now, but as time goes on your body will no longer be accustomed to it. Understand?" Kaiba said distantly, turning back to the document.

Joey stared at Kaiba for a long while.

"Aren't you leaving?" Kaiba questioned. Joey continued to stare before he put his head down and walked out the door.

()

Joey walked down the back alleys in Domino city alone instead of going to the underground where the beautiful lurked. His hands were burrowed deep in his jean pockets, his jacket opened carelessly and he staring at nothing at all as he wandered. The ground was still wet from a rain that had passed. The sky was empty of any light but there were still plenty of people in the streets and back alleys. To Joey, they all looked just as lost as he felt.

"Well look at what we have here." Came a raspy voice that Joey recognized and yet didn't. He looked right into the face of Bakura. "Its the product of an unkept deal."

Joey's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean?" Joey questioned. Bakura's face was like a stone as he peered at him.

"For all of these days, you've been enjoying your preposterous staring game with all the immortals while Kaiba and I's promise is slowly forgotten only by him. Do you know it?" Bakura almost demanded.

"If I knew I wouldn't be asking." Joey replied sternly.

"Wow, the dog is picking up some of his master's bad habits." Bakura sneered. "He promised to turn Ryou into a vampire. He hasn't even looked into it."

"Why does Ryou need to be a vampire?" Joey questioned curiously.

"Because if he dies I will stop at nothing to destroy everyone on this planet." Bakura replied. Joey shuddered a little bit catching sight of the darker look of Bakura.

"Why can't you just do it? Aren't you a vampire?" Joey questioned.

"Six months and you are still this unfamiliar with our codes?" Bakura questioned, beginning to lurk in circles around the blond, who stood unwavering.

"Of course I don't know anything. Kaiba likes to keep me in the dark. Whats it to ya?" Joey snapped.

"You cannot turn anyone without permission from our king." Bakura responded.

"Who is the king?" Joey asked.

"Your lack of knowledge is really irritating." Bakura growled.

"Your being around me is irritating." Joey countered. Bakura eyed Joey for a moment and step gracefully back.

"Without surprise, Kaiba would pick a strong partner to follow him through his days." Bakura noted, knowing Joey was strong enough to do some extensive damage. Bakura in the end could take him, but it was not a battle he cared to tell to Ryou when he would have to fix the wounds.

"And if I don't follow him?" Joey questioned curiously. A spark flashed through Bakura's eye.

"You mean short of ruining his reputation? You could never escape him." Bakura replied deviously. "He will always be linked to you."

"Could I turn Ryou?" Joey questioned. The look on Bakura's face became light-less.

"I need you to get permission from the king, as for turning Ryou, I will take the pleasure in doing the deed myself." Bakura replied.

"And the king is?" Joey tried again.

"Maximillion Pegasus." Bakura answered.


	9. new life

_Just as a reminder, I'm sure you all will not even deem this italic statement as words to read, I generally don't...but in case of inconvenient interference of people who do not quite understand fan behavior of borrowing and fantasizing...well of course I own none of the materials used to make this fanfic~_

* * *

"Hey Mokuba...can you do me a favor?" Joey asked slyly causing the unknowing Mokuba to turn his attention to him.

"What's up Joey?" Mokuba conjured.

"Well...I want to meet Maximillion Pegasus..." Joey began. Mokuba stared at him.

"Seto wouldn't like that." Mokuba replied. Joey's body seemed to droop after the comment. "I guess it is natural to want to meet the king though. Especially since you should thank him in person for allowing you to be turned...even though Seto already sent a huge amount of gifts and money to him..." Mokuba pondered aloud. Joey perked up.

"So can I?" Joey asked excitedly.

"...but why do you really want to meet him?" Mokuba questioned smartly. Joey frowned. Sometimes the Kaiba's are just too smart for their own good. Joey thought of a quick cover up.

"When I was walking the underground, the immortals were really gorgeous...I thought even the king could be more gorgeous. I am really curious..."Joey trailed before realizing Mokuba may just show him a photograph and that would be the end of that.

"Ah, and since Pegasus is the last generation of the old vampire blood there's no way to see his picture because it just wont take. Pegasus is kind of odd though. I think he's gone crazy..."Mokuba commented. "Let's go to my office and we'll check it out."

"You have an office Mokuba?" Joey questioned following him down the cobalt halls.

"You think Seto is the genius of this company all by himself? I am the innovator. Since I can't grow up I can never be recognized, but seeing as the payout is good enough I don't care about titles like that." Mokuba laughed. Joey nodded.

"That's pretty sad that even I didn't know." Joey commented.

"There will come a time when you will pose as the company head. Or may even be given the title for that century... since I cannot be of assistance in that aspect." Mokuba informed opening the heavy cherry oak door. Joey suddenly noticed the quality and overall gothic-ness of the entire building.

"How old is this place?" Joey questioned.

"Haven't you even been to Kaiba museum? We get that question a lot from many customers. The Kaiba mansion, corporation headquarters and museum here have all been owned by us for over six centuries. The museums have histories of all the different people we made up to keep our existence a secret. That's why we'll be using you too. To keep our business from becoming known. Most of our success comes from our natural overall experience from having been in the gaming business for so long. Toys were so much easier to design back in the day." Mokuba responded.

"So I will go down in the Kaiba museum as the first outsider in the business?" Joey laughed.

"No you will go in the Kaiba museum as a Kaiba after we erase your background completely and your friends die out." Mokuba replied. Joey stopped walking for a moment. Mokuba looked at Joey that for the first time ever realized Mokuba's overall dark look and the eyes that looked deeper than any child should have.

"Are you Kaiba's real brother?" Joey questioned. Mokuba looked up at him.

"Despite the fact Kaiba really secretly likes kids; I don't think he'd pose some unrelated brat as his brother for all this time." Mokuba replied. Joey felt awkward.

"Mokuba...do you like kids?" Joey questioned.

"I did before...five centuries ago. It gets old when the only company you can public ally hold is so much dumber than you are...its good company research though." Mokuba replied. Joey was shocked needless to say.

"When I'm around Kaiba I put on the front of still being a child. It's an odd relationship. He cannot handle out situation too well as it is. Even after all this time..." Mokuba said blandly as he sat at his computer and began to type.

"What situation is that?" Joey asked. Mokuba smiled.

"I like you Joey; I think you will remain pure even till the ends of the Earth." Mokuba replied. "Kaiba is really a mastermind when it comes to comforting all of us. Oh look at this!"

Joey went over and looked at the computer screen with Mokuba.

"Job offerings?" Joey questioned, tilting his head.

"If you get a job with Pegasus, Kaiba cannot stop you from going and also he won't be able to deny the fact you will be learning good traits for a business head." Mokuba said excitedly.

"But what exactly do I have to do?" Joey questioned, not seeing any job description at all.

"Anyone can access these sites. Pegasus likes to control everything and he'll never put anything out in the open. He has vampires and regular humans under him indefinitely. Actually you getting a job with Pegasus would make everything easier." Mokuba commented to Joey. "I'll have Marik take you."

Joey paused.

"Marik?" Joey repeated.

"Yes, he is our servant. Him and Malik both. He cant do anything to you without an order to so don't worry. If he does, Seto is a scary person to deal with." Mokuba smiled.

"Yeah ok..." Joey said uncomfortably.


	10. rotten

_Yep, still not my anime series~ Big fan of it tho._

* * *

Mokuba and Joey spent the next four days together preparing Joey for his interview with Pegasus. It involved a lot of scrubbing, styling and training. Joey in his opinion looked like a high-class jerk. Mokuba on the other hand, thought he looked like a high-class model.

"What are you two up to?" Kaiba questioned leaning in the doorway with his brow raised. He looked fairly pleased at Joey's new attractive appearance. There his gorgeous blond stood, clad in fine designer clothes that fit his body in such a lovely manner. The dark colors mixed with the whites and soft grays suited Joey more than Kaiba could have imagined. Joey's generally tussled hair was put perfectly into place and looked soft to the touch. His skin was flawless. His new fangs poking out of his mouth, that looked normal on anyone else, looked absolutely sexy on Joey Wheeler.

The only issue was just how awkward Joey looked in them. Which to Kaiba was more attractive than the whole package.

"I convinced Joey to take a job with Pegasus." Mokuba responded, continuing to fix up Joey. Kaiba's face held a perplexed expression.

"Interesting. What could have brought this up?" Kaiba asked.

"I figured it would be easier to allow Joey to pose as company head next century with training from the greatest." Mokuba responded, trying not too hard to let on that it was actually Joey's odd desire.

"Did it occur to you that I may be the interviewer?" Kaiba smirked, tilting his head to the side. One of his fangs sticking out over his soft lips. Mokuba and Joey both looked up at Kaiba in shock. "After all, I am the second closest thing to the original. Do you think the king himself would get his hands dirty with the filth I have to filter through?" Kaiba continued.

"I didn't know you did that Seto." Mokuba said, still surprised.

"I know." Kaiba replied. "Wheeler does look suited to Pegasus' tastes though..." Kaiba said with a twinkle in his dark blue eyes. "How jealous am I?" Kaiba said catching complete eye contact with Joey.

Joey blushed and immediately broke the eye contact by looking at the elegant ancient rug over the stony flooring. Kaiba went over to Joey and pulled him into an embrace. Mokuba fidgeted awkwardly and adverted his eyes. Kaiba let his fangs graze the skin on Joey's neck, which unlike ever before, caused Joey an unusual amount of pleasure. Kaiba chuckled.

"I still have yet to explore your new set of sweet spots." Kaiba said with a low voice into Joey's ear. The lack of breath hitting Joey's ear surprised him. Kaiba looked over to Mokuba. "Thank you for such a lovely gift Mokuba, I'll be sure your efforts aren't in vain." Kaiba responded, tossing Mokuba the keys to his office. Mokuba caught them, with a little confusion.

Kaiba pulled Joey to him as they exited the room and made their way up the staircase to Kaiba's bedroom...

()

When Joey awoke, he was surprised to see Kaiba still there beside him sound asleep on his stomach. The covers fell short of covering his naked waist. Joey gently glided his finger down Kaiba's vaguely tanned skin, though Joey had no idea how he could have managed that without the sun. Joey realized it was morning. He got up out of the bed to go take a shower, putting both of his feet on the soft carpet he stood up. Then suddenly he felt a strong grip on his wrist and before he could realize it, he was back in bed practically flung across Kaiba.

"What the heck!" Joey whined, trying to get out of Kaiba's death grip, only causing Kaiba to wrap his arms around Joey tighter and chuckle.

"Where are you going this early in the morning?" Kaiba questioned deviously. Joey gave up and relaxed against Kaiba's chest.

"I was going to take a shower..." Joey mumbled into the flesh on Kaiba's collarbone.

"So soon? Before round two?" Kaiba smirked as Joey tensed up. "I'm just kidding; I know you couldn't handle that again for a while. You are really strange all around Wheeler." Joey pouted at the distance his last name gave him with Kaiba.

"Why do you say that now?" Joey said aggressively. Just as he always did before putting up a fight with Kaiba. Who chuckled again.

"You're so much fun." Kaiba comment rubbing his hands on the blonde's back. "Calm down, I'm not in the mood to fight you. I was just saying that because you are a vampire afraid of vampire's and you're with a man without being able to fully handle the with a man part of it." Kaiba explained, grinning with his fangs out.

"Yeah? Well no one asked you to be such a big man," Joey groaned rolling off of Kaiba. Kaiba released his hold. "I'm going to shower." Joey announced getting up again and walking to the bathroom a few feet away. Kaiba watched him. A slight knock sounded on the door.

"You may enter." Kaiba said and upon saying so the maid from before entered again.

"Good morning master Kaiba." The maid greeted bowing deeply.

"What is it?" Kaiba questioned boredly, hearing the water in the bathroom begin to run.

"First of all on front page of sixty-two world wide newspapers, Kaiba corp. is recognized as the leading company financially and skillfully. Secondly, the four Kaiba corp. managers are having difficulty with the employees and also there is a malfunction in one of the products so Mokuba stopped the productions line in your absence. Thirdly, Mokuba requested that once you wake up that you spend the day with him. And last but not least, the King has agreed to come for the secondary private interview in person for Joey Wheeler in four days." The maid informed in a very calming and clear voice.

"Prepare clothes for Joey's interview and have Mokuba come in here." Kaiba said, getting up without caring if anything of his was seen or not by the maid as he pulled his underwear on. The maid adverted her eyes.

"Yes of course master Kaiba." She said, bowing again and leaving the room.

()

Mokuba entered the room as Kaiba was buttoning his black pants, but still shirtless.

"What's up?" Mokuba asked jumping on the bed. Kaiba looked at him and chuckled.

"You wanted to spend the day with me?" Kaiba questioned raising a brow. "How unusual, you generally blow off your big brother." Kaiba teased pulling on a loose v-neck t-shirt.

"Joey can't get all the attention." Mokuba frowned.

"Says the one who spent four days straight with him without sending so much a glance at me." Kaiba smirked. He picked up a comb and started to comb out his messy locks. Mokuba blushed.

"Well he is kinda cool. I'm not used to having someone like him around...but is he really staying?" Mokuba questioned. Kaiba's face became a little dark.

"I have every intention of keeping him, please do not allow jealousy to alter that in any way." Kaiba responded. Mokuba shuddered a little. He could tell he was being scolded.

"Do you love him?" Mokuba questioned with wide curious eyes. Kaiba finished fixing his hair and looked back at Mokuba.

"I believe that may come in time," Kaiba responded vaguely. Mokuba frowned.

"Why would you keep him around if you don't even like him? You even did all that crazy chasing for three or four days to make sure he didn't die! Not to mention you dated him for four years before that even happened!" Mokuba complained. Kaiba's look was still hard and distant.

"Come, lets spend the day together." Kaiba said, dismissing the previous subject and motioning his brother. "However we must stop by Kaiba corp. first to see what this fighting employee nonsense is about."

Joey came out of the bathroom at this moment, with soaked hair and a towel around his waist. Mokuba looked at him and immediately blushed.

"Oh hey Mokuba. Didn't expect to see ya kiddo." Joey greeted with a sloppy smile and ruffled Mokuba's hair getting it a little damp. Kaiba smiled lightly. "Where you guys going?" Joey questioned.

"We're going to spend the day together." Kaiba said, with an obviously softer tone towards Joey. Mokuba noticed it but neither of the other two did.

"Sounds cool, I'm gonna go out too." Joey smiled. Kaiba frowned.

"Where?" Kaiba demanded.

"Ah, you know, I'm gonna go get a few things from my dad's house. He wont be there so its cool." Joey replied, walking over to the dresser and opening it. Side by side were Kaiba and Joey's underwear. Joey grabbed a pair and put them on.

"What could you possibly need from there that you don't already have here? I can replace whatever you may have with something better." Kaiba said sharply. Mokuba looked at Kaiba and back at Joey.

"Yeah not family photos and stuff." Joey replied completely dismissing Kaiba's annoyed tone. "Like it or not I'm going out sometimes." Joey informed Kaiba pulling on a shirt before putting on his jeans. Kaiba scoffed and turned his attention away.

"Come on Mokuba." Kaiba said as he walked. Mokuba obediently followed.

"Are you really going to let him walk around alone? He's supposed to separate from his past life..." Mokuba trailed. Kaiba didn't say anything for a few moments.

"He will wander as he pleases, if I interfere he will just come to hate me. If you deny him he'll hate you as well. Even with an explanation he wont understand. He is just impossible in that way." Kaiba growled. Mokuba decided not to question it anymore but could not contain one final thought.

"Hopefully he doesn't get a stake through the heart today." Mokuba thought aloud causing Kaiba to tense more.

()

Joey made it to his apartment without any trouble. There was no one home and he didn't have a key but then again when had he ever? He skillfully crawled up the side of the building and into the second story window of his bedroom in the apartment. It was dusty but everything lay untouched. He started to put the things he came for into a backpack that was on the ground: his family photo, a single photo of Serenity, a scarf she had made him, the funeral announcements, his mother's necklace, his hat that Yugi gave him, the deck of cards he used to play with in high school and a lighter from Tristan. It wasn't a lot, but it meant a lot to him.

"Damn. What is that smell?" Joey complained after quietly smelling it for a good fifteen minutes. Is was a putrid stank that filled the air thickly. It was warm in the apartment though it was cold outside, worsening the odor leaking from somewhere close by.

He covered his nose with his shirt as he opened the door of his room. The smell wafted in strongly causing Joey almost to puke. He wandered into the living room where he caught sight of a black puddle that extended down the arm of the couch across the cream colored carpet.

"I wouldn't go over there." Marik said suddenly causing Joey to jump out of his skin.

"Augh! Why are you here!" Joey yelled. Marik chuckled.

"Do you really think Kaiba would allow you to wander around alone? He sent us to follow you." Marik said. Joey looked around. "Malik is outside, he can't stand the smell of corpses."

"Corpses?" Joey asked looking over to the couch. He walked over slowly. Marik sighed. Joey's expression was expected. He gasped, covered his mouth and began to fall backwards but Marik easily walked over and caught him. "W-who?" Joey questioned, eyes tearing up.

"I'm sure you already know who." Marik replied apathetically. What Joey did next was entirely unexpected but Marik refused to allow him to complete the action. "Are you really intending to hug a decaying corpse? That is full of maggots and flies, not to mention you will wreak for weeks on end." Marik complained dragging Joey back.

"I never got a chance to hug him! He's my dad!" Joey began bawling. Malik came in with his face covered after hearing all the commotion. He looked at Joey. Wandering over he pulled Joey to him, being the kinder of the two Egyptians, in order to comfort him. Marik just stared boredly.

"W-what's going on?" Joey cried into Malik's chest. Malik didn't say anything. Marik who had enough of the smell and Joey, picked the blond up and exited the apartment. Malik followed, locking the door behind him.

"It looks like this place was abandoned. All the other apartments were empty. I was trying to get some looting in." Malik said as they walked down the rickety staircase.

"I can see why, this place is a dump. I suspect nothing but trash lived here." Marik replied looking at a group of cockroaches skittering around on the wall.

"It was probably a month." Malik guessed.

"Yeah I think so, a little less perhaps." Marik replied. Of course they were talking about the corpse. Joey was still bawling. "This kid is grossing me out. How wet is my back already?" Marik complained with a disgusted look.

"Kaiba wont like you talking that way." Malik replied. "He's not so bad. At least he's not as arrogant as the Kaibas."

"Yeah.." Marik agreed. "I remembered when you went through this with Ishizu."

Malik punched Marik's arm causing him to laugh.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry if this chapter is too long. I was pretty inspired...and also review if you have the chance, on story stats it said this story got 315 views yesterday and yet not a single review. You don't feel like it, that's cool too~ Whatev~ it just feels lonely haha :D_


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